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enHughes backs Shawcross for Ibrahimovic revengeA torrid show vs Sweden has limited Ryan Shawcross to a sole England outing. He comes face to face with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again on Sunday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/hughes-backs-shawcross-ibrahimovic-revenge
Mark Hughes has backed Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross to gain a measure of revenge over Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Old Trafford on Sunday.
An inability to handle a rampant Ibrahimovic in Shawcross' sole England outing helped the Sweden legend to a four-goal haul – three of which were scored when under the watch of the Stoke defender, including a mesmeric long-distance overhead kick.
A product of United's youth academy, Shawcross will have extra motivation to turn in a performance against the veteran striker, with Hughes backing his skipper to "lay some ghosts to rest".
Hughes told reporters: "It's an opportunity for Ryan. He's had to carry those moments for a very long time.
"Clearly what happened has affected people's view of him as a potential international on a more regular basis.
"I think he'll relish the opportunity, why wouldn't he? He has the opportunity to play well and maybe lay some ghosts to rest."
Hughes himself would dearly cherish a victory to shake the Potters out of an early-season stumble, which leaves them second from bottom with just two points after six games.
History is not on the Welshman's side, however, with Stoke having lost all eight of their Premier League fixtures at Old Trafford, indeed a Stoke side has not beaten United away from home since April 1976.
"It will be good to go there and change that round," said Hughes. "I hear that Shay Given was a day old the last time we got anything there, so that shows how long it was.
"But records are there to be broken so why not? It’s another box we would really like to tick off."
news_articleSat, 01 Oct 2016 09:52:58 +0000Anonymous633755 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com7 things we've learned so far in the Premier League this seasonThereve been talking points aplenty in the first few weeks of the top-flight campaign. Tim Ellis takes a look at some of the key issuesTim Ellishttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/7-things-weve-learned-so-far-premier-league-season
1. In-box wrestling racking up pens
Mike Dean's waging a one-man war against grappling in the box this term, so it’s a good jobLiverpooloffloaded serial shirt-puller Martin Skrtel to Fenerbahce in the summer. Stoke's Ryan Shawcross andManchester City's Raheem Sterling were both penalised by the strutting whistleblower for that offence in the same game, while Bournemouth's Charlie Daniels has also fallen foul of a new directive aiming to clamp down on the problem.
Shawcross admitted he'll now have to change the way he defends set-pieces, but the stricter implementation of the rule has possibly caused more confusion than clarity. Jan Vertonghen, for instance, clearly pulled down Joel Matip in Tottenham's clash with Liverpoolbut got away with a warning because the ball wasn't in play. One of football's biggest grey areas has become even greyer.
Daniels is penalised for holding Benteke
2. Keepers feeling heat more than ever
Goalkeepers aren't afforded the luxury of easing themselves in, with every move scrutinised from the very first whistle. Joe Hart was told to sling his hook by Pep Guardiola without an opportunity to improve his distribution, while Simon Mignolet has been criticised for conceding each of the last five shots on target he's faced, which rather ignores the question of how opponents got into such promising positions in the first place.
Young Sunderland shot-stopper Jordan Pickford's excellent performance against Southampton was undone by a single error late on, with the 22-year-old feeling compelled to apologise to David Moyes for letting Jay Rodriguez's shot creep under his body. Life's often not fair on the men between the sticks; just ask Shay Given, who saved a penalty against Everton but was credited with an own goal.
3. Sadio Mane could become Liverpool's most important player
After the sale of Luis Suarez, and Daniel Sturridge's continued problems with injuries, Liverpool fans have since had to content themselves with Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke as their side's spearhead. All of that quartet have now been moved on, and the early signs suggest the Reds may havefinally got it right with their summer signing of Sadio Mane.
The ex-Southampton forward has looked extremely dangerous cutting inside from the flanks, with his searing speed offering another dimension to Liverpool's attack. Season-ticket holders at Anfield will be hoping he hasn't got Michael Owen's hamstrings.
4. Forget player power: managers are ruling the roost
Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte have wasted little time in letting everyone know who's boss at their clubs, while Klopp too has flexed his managerial muscles with the sidelining of Sturridge. The hasty jettisoning of Hart, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Cesc Fabregas (although the latter still has a role to play at Stamford Bridge) underlines the confidence Guardiola, Mourinho and Conte already have at Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. Nobody's above the law, and player power has been put on hold.
LONG READGuardiola's 16-point blueprint for dominance–his methods, management and tactics
5. Refs somewhat unwilling to show red cards
“If participant behaviour doesn't improve, then there will be more yellow and red cards,” Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said back in July. This statement was mainly aimed at conduct towards referees and their assistants, which is all very well, but shouldn't come at the expense of obvious foul play on the pitch. (Bournemouth's Harry Arter picked up a second yellow card for dissent against West Ham, however, in the crackdown on bad behaviour.)
Diego Costa was incredibly lucky to escape sendings-off against both West Ham and Watford, while Liverpool's Mane shouldalso have sent packing against Tottenham. So far there have been only two red cards compared to 11 at the same stage in 2015/16.
Costa should have seen red for this foul on Adrian
6. Koeman looks clued-up at Everton
The Dutchman has steadied the ship at Goodison Park after a turbulent final year under Roberto Martinez. Everton look far more solid at the back and incisive going forward, with new faces Ashley Williams, Yannick Bolaise and Idrissa Gueye bedding in and already looking smart signings. With four very winnable fixtures to come (Sunderland A, Boro H, Bournemouth A, Palace H), the Merseysiders could steal a march on their more decorated neighbours – and most of the Premier League – in the next few weeks.
COMMENT Frustrated Everton fans are misunderstanding the process of building a successful recruitment strategy
7. The big boys look like they're back
Rafa Benitez once said you have to be “perfect” to win the Premier League, but that's not really been the case in recent years. Given that Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United have each won all of their first three encounters, though, it's perfectly possible that 90+ points will be required to triumph in 2016/17 (Leicester won last season with 81).
All three clubs underwhelmed last year, but their results in August suggest they'll all be challenging for the title this term. Granted, Manchester City rode their luck against Sunderland and had to fend off comebacks from Stoke and West Ham; Chelsea relied on late goals to beat West Ham and Watford; and United were a tad fortunate to overcome Hull last time out. The fact that the trio haven't yet reached their peak level of performance yet still managing to win is exactly why they should be feared, however.
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featureThu, 08 Sep 2016 14:17:55 +0000Greg Lea624579 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross back injury not serious - BowenStoke City assistant Mark Bowen expects captain Ryan Shawcross to be fit for their pre-season friendly against Preston North End.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-back-injury-not-serious-bowen
Ryan Shawcross is expected to be fit to resume pre-season training after missing Stoke City's opening friendly with a back injury.
Captain Shawcross has struggled with back issues over the past two seasons and caused concern when he fell awkwardly in training ahead of last weekend's 3-0 defeat to Burton Albion.
But assistant manager Mark Bowen insists the latest injury is unrelated to the defender's past problems and that he will be fit for Saturday's clash with Preston North End at Deepdale.
"Naturally we were worried at first, but it's nothing to do with his old injury," Bowen told BBC Radio Stoke.
"When he first went down we were thinking 'what the hell is this now?'. But it's just a little tweak in his back and he should be fit to train.
"As far as we're aware he's in the frame for Preston on Saturday."
Stoke begin their Premier League campaign away to new boys Middlesbrough on August 13.
news_articleMon, 18 Jul 2016 12:13:19 +0000Anonymous602655 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross hoping for Stoke additionsRyan Shawcross wants Stoke City to build on a strong season by adding depth to the squad.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-hoping-stoke-additions
Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross is hoping the club loosens the purse-strings as they look to build on this season's impressive ninth-placed finish.
Stoke closed out the season with a 2-1 win over West Ham and might have finished higher in the league if not for a horror April in which Mark Hughes' team failed to pick up a league win.
But Shawcross said his team could avoid a similar late-season blip provided they were able to add depth to the squad for next year.
"You always want to finish strong, and we remembered beating Liverpool 6-1 on the final day of last season," Shawcross was quoted as saying by the Stoke Sentinel.
"We wanted to get that win to go into the summer on a high. Thankfully we've done that.
"It's three successive ninth-placed finishes and we can build on that. We've got a top-class manager and a chairman who backs him.
"Hopefully we'll spend a bit of money over the summer and carry on recruiting some top players and carry on improving."
Manager Hughes was happy to cap the season off with a win, and also hinted that the club would have to look to add to its squad if it was to improve on a third consecutive top-half finish.
"Of all the seasons we have managed ninth, this has been the most satisfactory because it's been more difficult because of the injuries," he said.
"It's no coincidence the teams at the top of the league are consistent in their selection of their back four.
"We've had more changes this year than we've ever had, and to key personnel as well, but we'll get over it and we are on a positive."
news_articleMon, 16 May 2016 05:06:54 +0000Anonymous573890 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comStoke captain Shawcross to return against LiverpoolRyan Shawcross has handed Stoke City a timely boost as they prepare to face Liverpool, one of their key rivals for a Europa League spot.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/stoke-captain-shawcross-return-against-liverpool
Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross is set to return to action for his team's Premier League game against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Manager Mark Hughes confirmed that the defender, who has only made one league appearance since January, has made progress which has been better than expected over the last week as he battles a persistent back injury.
The return of Shawcross will be a huge boost for Stoke as they sit in eighth position with six games to go and chase a European place.
"He has had a good week," Hughes said of his 28-year-old skipper. "It is about whether he can cope with the work that we give him and he has come through all of that this week.
"He is available for Sunday. I spoke earlier in the week about maybe needing to give him a reserve team game, but given how he has progressed I don't think there is a need for that. He is certainly in my thoughts for the game."
However, Hughes did reveal key forward Marko Arnautovic was unlikely to face Jurgen Klopp's men.
"He twisted his knee last weekend during the game," replied Hughes when asked about the Austria international.
"He played on, but afterwards there was a bit of discomfort which is still there. Maybe the game on Sunday will be too soon for him. We hope he is available but we will make a decision closer to kick-off with Marko."
Stoke have only lost one of their last seven league encounters and have seven points from their last three away contests.
news_articleFri, 08 Apr 2016 14:57:37 +0000Anonymous556593 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comIbrahimovic ended my England career, says ShawcrossRyan Shawcross has not played for England since coming up against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden in November 2012.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ibrahimovic-ended-my-england-career-says-shawcross
Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross joked his England career was ended by Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic before it even started.
Shawcross has not played for England since Ibrahimovic's memorable four-goal haul in a 4-2 win in November 2012.
The 28-year-old defender earned his one and only cap on that remarkable night in Stockholm and while he made just a 16-minute cameo off the bench, it seemingly shaped his international career.
Shawcross came off the bench and watched helplessly as Ibrahimovic scored three goals in 12 minutes, including a stunning long-range bicycle kick, despite the former's last-ditch effort on the line.
It is a match that lives long in the memory, with Shawcross not expecting an England recall, at least not while manager Roy Hodgson is in charge.
"I'm the butt of the joke in my family, just because the 10 minutes I had in international football was ruined by one man," Shawcross told the Telegraph.
"They are consistently saying that Zlatan ruined my career! I had a chance and I don't think many other defenders have stopped him.
"I was given 10 minutes to show what I could do and probably didn't provide a good enough performance. I was against one of the best strikers in the world who was on a hot streak at the time and these things happen."
Of his international exile despite being one of Stoke's most consistent performers in the Premier League, Shawcross added: "I've been playing well for the last three or four years and I don't seem to be getting in so I can't see it changing in the future unless the manager changes.
"It's just the way football is, some managers like players that others don't. At the moment it's either that he doesn't think I'm up to it or the lads he's picking are better than me. That's fine.
"Is that unfair? Yes, but it's a ruthless game. You do find that the lads who move to the bigger clubs get more recognition. They play in Europe and there's a lot more prestige around them.
"But my performances on the pitch for Stoke have been good enough to get in the England team and so far the call hasn't come."
news_articleTue, 22 Mar 2016 22:05:50 +0000Anonymous549013 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross and Shaqiri to miss Watford matchRyan Shawcross and Xherdan Shaqiri will both miss Stoke City's Premier League trip to Watford on Saturday, Mark Hughes has confirmed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-and-shaqiri-miss-watford-match
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has confirmed Ryan Shawcross and Xherdan Shaqiri are unavailable for Saturday's Premier League match at Watford.
Shaqiri pulled a thigh muscle in last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Southampton, while Shawcross suffered a fresh back injury on his return from eight games out with a separate back problem.
"Ryan Shawcross won't be available. Shaqiri is likely to be missing for 10 more days or so," Hughes said. "Erik Pieters hasn't trained up until today, but hopefully we can get him out tomorrow. Other than that it is just long-term injuries.
"It can be difficult especially when you have multiple injuries in the same position. We have had to move people around a lot.
"When we have had a steady back four - a continuity - we have been very good and looked really solid.
"It is no coincidence that when you look at Leicester, who have been able to play the same team week in week out, that they are at the top of the league. We haven't had that luxury, sadly."
Defeat to Southampton was a blow to Stoke's continental ambitions, but Hughes remains focused on securing a place in next year's Europa League.
"Make no bones about it, if we ever got in a position to get into the Europa League then we would approach it as a priority," he said.
"I can understand people questioning the difficulties of playing Thursday and Sunday, having maybe travelled across the continent, but we would take that inconvenience just to experience it again.
"We enjoyed the moments in Europe a few years ago and I would love to take Stoke back there. Look at the clubs who are involved in that competition - huge European clubs, so we would love to pit our wits against them.
"The next step for us is to challenge for European football each season."
Hughes added that goalkeeper Jack Butland is "close" to signing a new contract to stay at the Britannia Stadium.
news_articleThu, 17 Mar 2016 20:14:38 +0000Anonymous546563 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHughes confirms Shaqiri thigh pullXherdan Shaqiri suffered a pulled thigh muscle in Stoke City's 2-1 home defeat to Southampton on Saturday, manager Mark Hughes confirmed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/hughes-confirms-shaqiri-thigh-pull
Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri sustained a thigh injury in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Southampton.
Shaqiri was replaced in the first half, by which time Stoke were already 2-0 down after Graziano Pelle headed in an early corner and then beat Jack Butland with a curling shot.
Marko Arnautovic scored shortly after half-time but Stoke slipped to their first defeat in five matches despite Sadio Mane's late red card after colliding in the air with Erik Pieters.
"Shaq looks like he's pulled his thigh," manager Mark Hughes said of the Switzerland international.
"We've got to check on Ryan Shawcross because I think he was struggling in the last five minutes of the game so hopefully that's just a little bit of tiredness and that's not significant, because obviously he's only just come back, but we'll have to check him come Monday.
"I thought he did okay, I thought he was fine.
"Pelle and Long have got good energy and a good understanding and they would have caused anybody problems today, they're a decent pairing."
news_articleSat, 12 Mar 2016 20:02:41 +0000Anonymous544232 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross could be Anfield star - ThompsonRyan Shawcross will be a key absentee for Stoke in the League Cup semi at Liverpool and Phil Thompson believes he would star at Anfield.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-could-be-anfield-star-thompson
Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross could be the answer to Liverpool's defensive woes according to former Anfield favourite Phil Thompson.
Liverpool take a 1-0 advantage into the second leg of their League Cup semi-final against Stoke on Tuesday and the visitors were hit with a blow on the eve of the game when it was confirmed Shawcross would miss out due to a back injury.
Mark Hughes' side have kept seven clean sheets in their past 13 Premier League matches with Shawcross starring at centre-back – a record sure to be envied by Liverpool, whose frailties at the back were once again on show during Saturday's astonishing 5-4 win at Norwich City.
Thompson feels Stoke will be hindered by the absence of Shawcross, who he would be happy to see donning Liverpool's famous red shirt in future seasons.
He told Sky Sports: "When Liverpool evaluate at the end of the season and look at the sort of goals they conceded, I wouldn't be averse to see them looking towards Shawcross as a solution.
"In fact, I think he would be absolutely ideal and he's been one of the most underrated centre-backs over the last five seasons. You just have to look at Stoke's stats with and without him."
Hughes believes Shawcross is not the only Stoke player to have proved himself to be at least the equal of Liverpool's current crop.
Stoke lost by the same slender scoreline at the Britannia Stadium on the opening weekend of this season, having dealt out a stunning 6-1 hammering as the curtain came down on 2014-15.
"There should not be any apprehension from the guys," Hughes told a news conference. "They've gone up against Liverpool this year. Most of them have gone up against them in previous seasons as well.
"We've proved we can cause them problems, albeit at Anfield we have not gone that final step and taken wins away with us. But we're really looking forward to it.
"It's not going to be easy. Liverpool at Anfield on any occasion is difficult but in a cup semi-final there is an extra challenge to everybody.
"You could suggest the pressure is on them."news_articleTue, 26 Jan 2016 10:21:15 +0000Anonymous511341 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross to miss League Cup semi-final in four-week lay-offStoke City will be without Ryan Shawcross for their League Cup semi-final second leg at Liverpool with the defender sidelined for a month.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-miss-league-cup-semi-final-four-week-lay
Ryan Shawcross will miss Stoke City's League Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool, having been ruled out for four weeks with another back injury.
Shawcross was withdrawn after just 30 minutes in Stoke's 3-0 defeat at Leicester City on Saturday amid concerns he had aggravated the same issue which required surgery last year.
Manager Mark Hughes ruled out a return of the initial problem, but expects the centre-back to be absent for up to a month.
"Thankfully Ryan's injury isn't a recurrence of the problem he had last year, but unfortunately he has some muscle damage and at the moment it looks likely that he will be out for three to four weeks, which is hard for us to take," said Hughes.
"Losing him was detrimental to our performance at the weekend. We will miss him.
"Marc Wilson came in at the weekend and Marc Muniesa just missed out. It is about making sure the partnership is strong, because that will be key to the game.
"I will think about it and make the decision which I hope enables us to win the tie."
Hughes confirmed Geoff Cameron remains unavailable for selection but said Marko Arnautovic - suffering from an ongoing hamstring problem - and Bojan, rested during Saturday's trip to the King Power Stadium, should be fit to feature.
Regardless of his team selection, the Welshman expects his players to fight for a place in February's final at Wembley.
"We are going to really push for it tomorrow - we will have a big following and we want to win the tie," added Hughes.
"You always remember cup finals and semi-finals because of the excitement and the atmosphere, and we want to make tomorrow a night to remember. We want to try and win a trophy moving forward.
"It's important I feel to compete in the latter stages of these type of competitions and to do well in the league, which we are doing.
"Hopefully come 10pm tomorrow night we will be in the final of this competition for the first time in 40-odd years, and I will be reminding the players of that before kick-off."news_articleMon, 25 Jan 2016 15:42:28 +0000Anonymous511058 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHughes urges Shawcross to forget England hopesMark Hughes does not feel Ryan Shawcross will earn another call-up to the England squad while Roy Hodgson remains in charge.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/hughes-urges-shawcross-forget-england-hopes
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has urged Ryan Shawcross to focus on maintaining his club form, suggesting an international recall from England boss Roy Hodgson remains highly unlikely.
The 28-year-old centre-back made his first appearance of the season last month following back surgery and has fitted seamlessly back into Stoke's side.
However, Shawcross' sole international appearance came in the 4-2 defeat to Sweden in 2012 and Hughes does not anticipate Shawcross earning a recall ahead of Euro 2016.
"Ryan Shawcross has had a long-term injury that he's just come back from and he's getting up to speed with things," the Welshman told reporters.
"From the first time he came back against Chelsea he's been outstanding. He certainly has the ambitions to get into the England squad but he just has to continue with performing well here.
"Roy has stuck with the players that have got him through the [Euro 2016] qualification campaign, however, so Ryan might have to wait for a change of circumstance in order to get a chance.
"All managers have loyalty to players that have produced for them in the past and you can understand that, particularly at this late stage before a major tournament."
Stoke have conceded just once since Shawcross returned to action in the League Cup against Chelsea - the former Manchester United man forming a solid partnership with Philipp Wollscheid at the back.
Hughes is hopeful Wollscheid can feature against Sunderland this weekend despite suffering with a hip problem.
"Unfortunately Philipp Wollscheid is a little bit sore with his pelvis and didn't train today," Hughes added.
"Hopefully he will tomorrow and will be able to feature at Sunderland. At the moment defensively we are very sound and that's giving us a platform to build on.
"The creative players in the team can then take confidence from that as they know if they lose the ball it might not allow the opposition to open us up."news_articleThu, 26 Nov 2015 15:36:22 +0000Anonymous485516 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross turns nose up at Costa's hardman statusStoke defender Ryan Shawcross feels Diego Costa's hardman status pales when the Chelsea striker is compared to players in the Championship.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-turns-nose-costas-hardman-status
Diego Costa is not as intimidating as some of the players in England's lower leagues, according to Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross.
Chelsea's powerhouse forward endured a tempestuous on-field battle with Shawcross during a 1-0 loss at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday – the Premier League champions' seventh loss in 12 outings of a dire title defence.
During his sixth consecutive match without a goal, one once again more notable for his actions off the ball as opposed to inside the penalty area, the Spain international took the unusual step of suggesting that Shawcross had a body odour problem.
Speaking at a fans' forum organised by BBC Radio Stoke on Wednesday, the centre-back was presented with a gift bag of deodorant products before making light of Costa's gamesmanship.
"I played in the Championship and there's a lot nastier people in the Championship and tougher people," Shawcross said.
"Once you've got Costa concentrating on you rather than the game you've won the battle.
"I was pleased he was concentrating on me and just delighted to keep him quiet because he's a fantastic player."news_articleWed, 11 Nov 2015 22:37:22 +0000Anonymous479159 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross revels in victory over 'bully' CostaStoke City beat Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday and captain Ryan Shawcross was delighted to win his personal battle with striker Diego Costa.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-revels-victory-over-bully-costa
Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross says it was "fantastic" to keep Chelsea striker Diego Costa quiet as the Premier League champions suffered yet another defeat.
Marko Arnautovic scored the only goal of the game as Stoke inflicted a seventh defeat of the league season so far on Chelsea, winning 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday in the absence of the visitors' banned manager Jose Mourinho.
Costa was kept on the fringes of the action by the home side's defence and Shawcross was delighted to have triumphed in his personal battle with the Brazilian-born Spain international.
"Diego Costa gets in your face, he wants to bully you so you have to stand up to him," he told Sky Sports.
"He is a fantastic player who plays close to the line, so to keep him quiet is fantastic.
"We have a fantastic spirit and a good team now. Look how many Champions League winners' medals we've got in the squad now."
Costa was caught up in controversy after the match with reports that a steward had made an allegation of assault against the former Atletico Madrid forward.
The 27-year-old appeared to stand on the steward's foot after retrieving the ball for a throw-in, though a Chelsea spokesman was quoted by some outlets as describing the incident as "utter nonsense".
Stoke were unavailable for comment on the incident when contacted by Omnisport.news_articleSat, 07 Nov 2015 23:39:37 +0000Anonymous477480 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comShawcross in contention for Stoke return - HughesRyan Shawcross could make his long-awaited Stoke City return against Chelsea in the League Cup, Mark Hughes has revealed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/shawcross-contention-stoke-return-hughes
Mark Hughes has hinted at a return to the Stoke City starting XI for captain Ryan Shawcross against Chelsea on Tuesday.
Shawcross has yet to feature for Stoke this season after undergoing surgery on the troublesome back injury that hampered him during the closing months of the 2014-15 campaign.
But the 28-year-old has been making steady progress in his recovery, and manager Hughes is hopeful he will be able to field his skipper during this week's fourth-round League Cup tie with beleaguered Chelsea.
"Ryan Shawcross is very much in my thoughts - he needs games now and needs to get back up to speed," said the Stoke boss on Monday. "He is chomping at the bit - he wants to be involved."
Shawcross' chances of a return were boosted by a thigh injury to fellow defender Geoff Cameron during Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Watford in the Premier League, and Hughes also confirmed there are doubts over Marc Muniesa and Bojan Krkic.
The Welshman added: "It looks like a grade one so maybe he [Cameron] will have a chance for the weekend.
"Marc Muniesa has a slight issue too, but we will give him 24 hours to come through that. Bojan has an issue with his toe, which is hampering him, but apart from that we are okay." news_articleMon, 26 Oct 2015 16:39:29 +0000Anonymous472129 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHughes wary of rushing back Stoke duoMame Biram Diouf and Ryan Shawcross are available for Stoke City, but Mark Hughes is unsure if they are ready to play against Watford.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/hughes-wary-rushing-back-stoke-duo
Mark Hughes is wary of rushing back Mame Biram Diouf and Ryan Shawcross ahead of Stoke City's Premier League clash with Watford.
Stoke welcome Watford to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday in the first of three games over eight days.
Chelsea then visit Hughes' men in the League Cup on Tuesday before Stoke travel to St James' Park to take on Newcastle next weekend.
Senegal striker Diouf has been on compassionate leave following the death of his mother, while centre-back Shawcross is finally in contention to play for the first time this season after recovering from back surgery.
Asked about their potential involvement, Hughes said: "Mame is back with us now but we have to be mindful of where he is physically and mentally. He is training, but he hasn't trained a great deal over the past couple of weeks.
"I am mindful that we have three games this week, so that will shape my thinking.
"The same goes for Ryan Shawcross, too, because he feels he is ready, but we don't want to rush him. He will play at some point over the coming week I am sure of that."
Following a slow start, Stoke are targeting a fifth straight win in all competitions and Hughes believes the club can make further strides.
"In terms of points on the board we had a slow start, but performance wise I thought we were okay," he added.
"Thankfully we have managed to turn good performances into good results. If we can win the game on Saturday then it would represent our best ever points return after the first 10 games of the season – that would be a great achievement for us.
"We will continue to try and push the bar higher because we don't want to stand still. There may well come a time that we will hit a glass ceiling, but we are nowhere near that yet."news_articleFri, 23 Oct 2015 19:17:52 +0000Anonymous470985 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com